Patricia Marin – Mamami, Malaysia
In this interview, Patricia Marin describes her role as the business development director at Mamami, a healthy food company in Malaysia.
What do you do? How did you get into the industry?
I contribute to the expansion of a healthy food company in Malaysia that is thriving and looking to venture into foreign markets. In the past, I was a deputy trade commissioner of Mexico and an officer in the economic affairs division of the embassy of Mexico, where I used to facilitate bilateral trade and investment. This experience connected me to a Mexican food manufacturer and exporter doing business in Southeast Asia. Later, I joined Mamami, a Malaysian company whose philosophy, which I share, is to provide everyone with natural and organic food for a healthy lifestyle.
What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?
A traditional Mexican dish from my hometown is called “enchiladas verdes.” It is prepared slightly differently from the rest of the country. Since I was a child, I enjoyed it during family gatherings, especially Friday nights or weekends. So much so that I even learnt how to cook it. When I travel back home from overseas, I always make a point to get that particular food. When my family back in Mexico gets enchiladas verdes, oftentimes they send me pictures of them having it to remember the good times we used to have around this delicious dish during our childhood.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part of my job in the healthy food industry is the opportunity to positively impact people’s lives by providing them with nutritious options that can contribute to their overall health and well-being. Distributing healthy food can also be a fulfilling job because it allows you to be part of a larger movement towards promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing health disparities. It is also rewarding to know there are positive effects on the environment by promoting organic and natural food.
The worst part of my job is spending long hours behind the wheel, particularly when it rains. But this is something we all face living in big cities, so I listen to the news and some music to make it bearable.
What’s one of Patricia Marin’s favourite food and beverage pairings?
Coming from a country with rich culinary cuisine, considered a Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, anything from Mexico, almost any dish or meal, tacos, barbacoa, pozole, literally anything could be paired with mezcal, the brother of Tequila. Even though I don’t have a chance to cook Mexican food very often, I do enjoy pairing it with friends at my home’s table.
What’s one of the most unique things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
One of the most unique and fascinating cultural experiences I had while living in Japan was the Hiwatari Matsuri, a traditional fire-walking festival which takes place in various temples. During the event, participants walk barefoot across a bed of hot coals that have been prepared by priests. The festival is believed to have originated centuries ago as a way to cleanse the body and mind and is still practised today as a form of spiritual purification. Normally, it’s accompanied by traditional music and dance performances, as well as food and drink vendors.
The perfect day off would be…
Kickboxing, watching indie movies with my family or jogging outdoors surrounded by nature. I love walking in the forest and listening to birds and insects chirping. Many friends asked me if I could take the hot weather in Malaysia. My answer always is, “that’s one of the reasons why I chose to live here.”
What’s something you’d like readers to know about Mamami?
Mamami started as a family business in 1950 in Penang. Inspired by the founder’s mother, who dedicated her life to providing a healthy living for her family, the company created Organic Wave and Natural Wave and has been appointed as a sole distributor of other healthy food brands from Japan, Canada and Poland, among others. Since its foundation, the company has grown to become one of Malaysia’s biggest suppliers of organic food.
How has the pandemic changed your perspective or the way you operate?
Overall, the pandemic presented significant challenges for organic food distributors but has also created opportunities for innovation and growth in the industry. For instance, the pandemic led to a surge in demand for organic food as consumers have become more health-conscious. Organic food distributors have had to adapt to this increased demand by sourcing more products and expanding their distribution networks.
But the pandemic also disrupted global supply chains, making it more difficult to source organic foods from certain regions. There was definitely a shift to online sales and delivery. This has required investment in new technologies and logistics systems to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of products.
Patricia Marin’s view on the organic and natural food industry scene in Kuala Lumpur…
The organic food industry in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been growing steadily in recent years as consumers have become more concerned about their health and food quality. There is a growing trend of specialty stores and markets offering organic products, including fresh produce, packaged foods, and personal care products. This has helped to raise awareness of organic food among consumers and has encouraged more people to try organic food and producers to enter the market.
What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?
We source organic and natural food products from certified organic farmers who use sustainable agricultural practices and avoid harmful chemicals.
Likewise, we ensure that our labelling is transparent, accurate, and informative, providing customers with clear information about the product’s origins, ingredients, and nutritional value.
We constantly join roadshows, expos, and other activities to promote a healthy lifestyle, health care, climate change awareness, go-green shopping, and environmental campaigns.
What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months?
A new plant-based, low-GI vegetarian chicken curry with basmati rice is the latest product in town! Besides, Mamami just brought to Malaysia Okara powder, a traditional Japanese, gluten-free and keto-friendly supplement, rich in protein, dietary fibre and lecithin, made out of soy pulp that can be added to any of your favourite food or drinks. For more details, check out mamami4u.com
Find more interviews similar to this one with Patricia Marin here, and stay updated on the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.